A year after cashing in a six-figure lump sum payment, Miami-Dade's county attorney -- already the state's highest paid government lawyer -- landed a 9 percent pay hike and enhanced benefits in a vote by Miami-Dade commissioners Tuesday.

Robert Cuevas, a 38-year county veteran who already receives a yearly stipend for personal expenses of over $10,000, a $4,000 annual car allowance and $420 for parking and Metrorail, now earns $319,000 a year.

Still, Cuevas' compensation will be modest compared to his earnings in 2007 -- when, with more than $423,000 in accumulated sick time, he pocketed $720,382.

The attorney was able to earn that amount because, before taking the county's top legal job a little over a year ago, he took a brief leave of absence, officially retiring.

That not only allows Cuevas to collect a $70,000 annual pension on top of his salary this year, it enabled him to secure a lump sum payment for all the sick time he'd accumulated since joining the county in 1970. Cuevas, who said he did not request the raise, said he took the time off knowing he would get the lump sum payment.

That compensation, however, wasn't enough to dissuade commissioners from voting to give Cuevas the 9 percent pay hike Tuesday. Most commissioners said the increase -- 4 percent cost of living and 5 percent merit -- was in line with almost all of the county's 30,000 employees who belong to unions.

''If Mr. Cuevas is as good as we say he is, then we ought to pay him,'' said Commissioner Dorrin Rolle, one of the eight votes in favor.

Other yes votes came from Chairman Bruno Barreiro and Commissioners Natacha Seijas, Dennis Moss, Barbara Jordan, Javier Souto, Jose ''Pepe'' Diaz and Joe Martinez.

Voting against the raise were Commissioners Carlos Gimenez, Rebeca Sosa, Katy Sorenson, Sally Heyman and Audrey Edmonson.

Some commissioners were aware of Cuevas' 2007 compensation. Yet, because the discussion made it clear Cuevas had the votes for the raise, they said it would have been futile to try to amend it to a lesser amount.

''I just couldn't explain to the community a merit increase in a year we have to cut services. We all -- including myself -- have to be thankful we have a job,'' said Commissioner Sosa. ``It has nothing to do with his performance.''

Cuevas, who did not take part in the discussion, works at the will of the commission. Barreiro, as commission chair, evaluates the county attorney on a yearly basis. Cuevas works without a contract.

PREVIOUS LOSS

Cuevas said he sat down with Barreiro before the chairman brought the item to fellow commissioners. ''I thought it was proper, obviously, with his workload,'' said Barreiro, whose tenure as chair is coming to an end. Moss, another yes vote, takes the position in January.

The 8-5 vote came two weeks after the same motion, proposed by Barreiro at the end of a long county meeting when most in the public had left, was shot down by some commissioners who believed it was added to the agenda late.

''There was no intent to hide it by any means,'' Barreiro said Tuesday.

Moss, the incoming chairman, promised future motions would be published in the agenda and in a timely manner to avoid the appearance the commission was trying to hide something.

Seijas, in defending Cuevas, pointed out that Sunrise pays the husband of Broward Commissioner Ilene Lieberman up to $432,000 a year -- including the salary of the assistant city attorney hired by the Sunrise lawyer, Stuart Michelson.

She also took an indirect swipe at Murray Greenberg, the longtime county attorney who Cuevas served under. She called Cuevas ``a loyal, loyal second to a person who only did us harm.''

Reached Tuesday, Greenberg said: ``My reputation for integrity and public service over the past 35 years speaks for itself.''

Cuevas' boost also included paid health and medical insurance for him and his wife. Among the county's 30,000 employees, very few including County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, Manager George Burgess and a few department directors receive the same health benefits for their families.

TYPICAL

In the end, the majority of commissioners said Cuevas' raise is typical for all county employees -- except themselves.

Commissioners earn $6,000 a year per the county charter, and attempt after attempt to get the public to boost the pay has failed.

Said Commissioner Martinez: ``So this is really just in line. It's just what everybody else gets -- but us.''

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